Hurts Like Hell
by Chaos Valkyrie
Summary: When Nicole’s brother wishes himself to the Labyrinth, she’s given two ways to win him back: defeat the Maze or convince Sarah to fall in love with the Goblin King. Meanwhile, a new threat is looming over them all…
1. Careful What You Wish For

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 01:** February 21, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Labyrinth, don't you think I'd have taken advantage of David Bowie by now? So nope, don't own.

**Summary:** Sam, frustrated with his sister, has wished himself to the Labyrinth. Nicole is forced to make a deal to win her brother back – either defeat the Labyrinth, or convince a very reluctant Sarah to fall in love with Jareth before the 13 hours are up… Meanwhile, a new enemy is hunting down both girls, determined to use them to get to Jareth.

**Author Notes:** Well, yet another story I don't need to be starting, but am anyway… This brings me up to five posted stories, several others in the works, and I'm not even going to mention my non-fan-fiction writing… sigh. I hate prolific plot bunnies. They really need to stop breeding.

* * *

**Chapter One: Careful What You Wish For**

Nicole wiped her forehead as she wearily walked home. She had just finished the late shift for her research job, and she was exhausted. She pulled her brown hair back as she walked, tying a loose ponytail as she trudged down the empty streets. She checked her watch. _'Almost eleven… I hope Sarah put Sam to bed by now.'_ She winced. She doubted her brother would've gone to bed so easily – she knew him better than that.

She sighed, looking up at the velvety dark sky. The street lamps masked the glow of the stars quite effectively, but she still rather futilely tried to pick out the North Star. '_There,_' her questing eyes picked it out. She remembered how she and her father used to go stargazing when she was very little…

She shied away from those thoughts. Nicole smiled in relief as she neared the warm glow of her own house. She pulled her bag from her sore shoulders, shuffling her feet as she dug for her keys. The door swung open before she reached it. Nicole smiled as she was greeted quietly by her friend and trusted babysitter.

"Hey, rough night?" Sarah asked, moving aside so that Nicole could shuffle inside the front hall. Nicole sighed in relief as she dumped the heavy bag on a chair by the door.

"When is it not?" Nicole replied. Sarah chuckled, leading the way to the kitchen where a hot cup of tea awaited her. Nicole thanked her, wrapping her hands about the warm mug. "How were the little monsters tonight?" she asked.

Sarah laughed. "Well, I put your protesting brother to bed an hour ago, and Toby is passed out on the couch, waiting for me to take him home to my parents' house. They actually didn't give me too much trouble tonight."

Nicole blinked in almost mock-surprise. "That's a first."

Sarah giggled as she gathered up her textbooks. The two women had met in college, during Nicole's junior year. They had shared a couple of entry-level courses, and helped each other out with their weak-spots – Nicole helped Sarah through her Chemistry class while Sarah helped her pass Mythology. The two had become close friends despite their two year age difference. Now Sarah helped Nicole by babysitting her little brother on nights when she had to work late.

"So, think you'll pass your theatre exam?" Nicole asked teasingly. Sarah was a double English/Theatre major, specializing in mythology and fantasy. She was generally regarded as the best actress the school had seen in a good long time.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know," she said, her lips in a mock-pout, "I'm pretty worried about this one…"

Nicole snorted, reluctantly setting her cooling mug on the table. "My arse you are. You have all the Theatre profs wrapped around your little capable fingers."

Sarah snickered. "'Wrapped' is such a harsh word," she said. The two women stood up and walked to the living room. Nicole gently picked up a sleeping Toby and followed Sarah to her car outside.

"So, can you baby-sit next weekend?" Nicole asked. The question was routine. So was the answer.

"Sure, I haven't got any plans," Sarah shrugged. Nicole never took it for granted that Sarah would always baby-sit for her – and oddly enough, she felt that Sarah was grateful for that fact. She had wondered for years why Sarah was still single, and never could get a straight answer from her friend. Sarah was like a magnet – people were naturally drawn to her, especially boys. Nicole chuckled. She was the exact opposite, a reversed magnetic charge, forcing those away who were not brave enough to deal with her. Perhaps that was why she and Sarah got along so well.

"Opposites attract," she whispered to Toby, tucking the seatbelt around him safely. She stood up and closed the door gently as Sarah got into the driver's seat. She waved goodbye to her friend as she pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

Jareth held a crystal in his cool grasp, watching as the car pulled out of the driveway to take the siblings home.

"Goodnight, sweet Sarah," he whispered, his mismatched eyes sparkling. A large black bird fluttered into a tree next to the window ledge on which he had draped his lanky form. He casually glanced at the bird as it cackled before him.

He addressed the bird. "A crow? Such an obnoxious creature can only be my brother, I'm afraid."

The bird transformed in a flutter of black silk into a man. He was slightly taller than Jareth, and had the same hard mouth, same mismatched eyes, only his were blue and green. The similarities ended there, however. This man's thick hair was black as sin and was tidy, cut much shorter than his brother's. His clothing was black and of simple design, the lines of the silk showing off, but not utterly revealing, the muscles of his perfect body. The taller man frowned down at Jareth.

"A raven, not a crow. There is a huge difference," he snarled, his deep voice failing to drown out his brother's chuckle.

"My dear Gareth, to what do I owe this visit?" the Goblin King asked, the smile on his face not extending to his eyes.

Gareth smiled and waved his arms disarmingly. "Now Brother, why must you always assume that my visits have some dark ulterior motive?" he asked, chuckling. He flopped down on a leather and velvet chair, his leg dangling over the side. He smiled at the goblin who brought him a drink a moment later. She giggled, curtsied, then fled as she noticed the stony look on the Goblin King's face.

Jareth rolled his eyes, settling himself on the window ledge facing his brother. "What have you done this time? An affair with the Fairy Queen's daughter?"

Gareth laughed. "So like you, to assume the worst! Actually, I'm just here to see if there is any truth behind the rumors," he said slyly.

Jareth was immediately on guard. "What rumors?"

"Why, the rumors that the all powerful, forever condescending Goblin King has actually fallen in love! With a mortal girl, no less!" Gareth laughed merrily. His suspicions were confirmed by his brother's stony face, which held the slightest trace of…

Gareth sat up quickly, staring hard at his brother. "Is that a blush I see?" he asked teasingly.

Jareth kept his expression cool, but the clenching of his fist gave him away. "I'm sure your eyes deceive you, _half_-brother," he emphasized the word. "Must be something you inherited from… oh dear, who was your mother again?"

This effectively shut Gareth up. "Quiet, Jareth," he snarled.

Jareth smirked, changing the subject. "So, Gareth, how do the negotiations fair? Have you pulled a treaty out of the old fool yet?" The old fool in question was the Erlkonig, or the Elf King, whose realm lay to the North of the Labyrinth. The two countries had been at war for years, very evenly matched. While Gareth and Jareth may have their differences, the Goblin King trusted no one else to lead his armies – Gareth was a very skilled general. He was the partial reason why the country was momentarily at peace – his leadership of the Goblin armies had decimated the Elvin troops.

Gareth rolled his eyes, falling back into his chair with a sigh. "The old fool wants more than he deserves, even though we have the noose around his neck," he spat, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "He's planning something."

"When is he not," Jareth replied. He paused suddenly, as if listening.

Gareth looked at his brother curiously. "What is it?" he asked.

Jareth rose to his feet, standing on the window ledge, a smile forming on his face. "Excuse me, brother, but I believe I have another potential goblin to recruit," he smirked before transforming into a snowy owl and a fluttering off into the night.

Gareth shrugged, standing up himself. His brother lived for moments like these.

* * *

It was midnight, and Nicole decided to peek into her brother's darkened room before retiring herself. She frowned as she saw a dim light emerge from under the bundled sheets on the bed. She pushed the door open, flicking on the overhead light as she did so.

"Samuel Edward Conners," she screeched as the bundled form lurched. An untidy mop of light brown hair emerged from under the sheet, frowning at her.

"What?" the eleven-year-old boy snarled. Nicole stalked into the room, sitting down on the bed and snatching the flashlight from where it shone under the covers.

"You'll ruin your eyes that way," she retorted, flicking the flashlight off. "You were supposed to be asleep by now."

"I'm not a child anymore, sis. I should be able to stay up as late as I want on a Friday," he told her, trying to snatch the light back. Nicole held it away from him, and he frowned at her. "GIVE IT!"

"No. You are going to sleep," she said, and snatched the book from his hand as he made another attempt for the light. That did it.

"GIVE IT BACK!" he yelled, and Nicole stood and quickly held the little red book over her head, looking at the cover curiously.

"'_The Labyrinth'_," she read, confused. "Where did you get this?"

"I borrowed it from Sarah…" his jaw clamped shut, realizing he said the wrong thing.

It took Nicole a moment to catch on. "What do you mean, you _borrowed_ this? Did you go through Sarah's things?" Her face became angry as she glared at him. He looked back unremorsefully.

"She was busy with Toby, I needed _something_ to do," he scowled.

Nicole was mortified. "You can't just go through other people's things, Sam! You will apologize to her when you see her next week!"

Sam glared at his sister, muttering. She almost missed it. "I wish mom and dad were still alive…"

Nicole sighed. "Well, they're not, Sam. So you're stuck with me."

Sam glowered, muttering again. "I wish the Goblin King would take _me_ away."

"What?" Nicole asked, growing tired of all this.

"I wish the Goblin King _would_ take me away, right now, so I wouldn't have to put up with you anymore!" The younger boy bellowed.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the lights went out.

* * *

**End Notes:** Actually, I didn't entirely pick the name Gareth because of the similarity to Jareth… Actually, I read it in another story, (Draco Sinister, to be exact) and have had the overwhelmingly strong urge to use it for a character… this seemed the perfect opportunity to do so. 


	2. Deals with Two Devils

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 02:** February 22, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** Hmmm, I've never met nor worked with any Muppets, so I must not own Labyrinth. And since I'm still alive, I can't be Goethe, whose poem "Erlkonig," aka the Erl King, inspired that particular character… and I also didn't write some rather creepy music to accompany that poem – that was Schubert, I believe.

**Author Notes:** Well, we're back. I've been doing a lot of planning for my various tales in the last 24 hours, and couldn't resist the urge to work on this one some more. So please, if you are reading the others, (please do!) be patient with me… Oh, and there is some minor Jareth bashing this chapter, but don't get mad at me! Nicole is a sarcastic little witch and I'm just describing how she would see him… heh heh heh. I said she was the negatively charged magnet, so, find out why…

* * *

**Chapter Two: Deals with Two Devils**

"Sam!" Nicole shrieked as darkness engulfed them. She raised a hand to her mouth, then lowered it to her heart. _'It is only a power outage, don't freak out!'_ she commanded to herself. "Sam?" Nicole called again, louder, reaching her hands blindly out into the darkness. The wind was making a terrible racket outside, but she thought she could hear a scuttling noise coming from the direction of the bed. She bumped her shin on the foot board and cursed loudly.

"Shit!" She grimaced, rubbing her shin ruefully while the winds outside picked up. "Why must the shin always find furniture in dark?" she asked out loud. Someone giggled. She pulled the blankets off the huddled form on the bed as her eyes finally adjusted. "Now Sam, quit horsing arou–"

Her words disintegrated into a gasp of horror. The bed was empty, well, of her little brother at least. _Something_ with glowing red eyes chuckled up at her, but last she checked, Sam's eyes were a rather normal shade of brown. She screamed and jumped back from the bed.

The winds reached a crescendo, and the window across from Sam's bed crashed open with an almighty screech. Nicole's hands flew of their own accord to her mouth, and her eyes widened with shock as a _man_ stepped down from the window sill into the room.

"Who the Hell are you?" she managed to choke out. "Where's my brother?"

The man just smirked. It finally began to dawn on Nicole that this man was not your typical, run-of-the-mill, normal guy next door. If there were any questions to the contrary, the obscenely tight pants, romantically ruffled shirt, and the girly eye make-up clinched it.

"Who are you?" Nicole asked again, anger rising. Her hands stopped hovering about her throat and dropped as fists to her hips. "What the HELL have you done with my brother! I don't recall ordering a fairy to replace him!" And by fairy, she didn't mean the kind with wings. The man frowned.

"I believe the correct term would be goblin," the man grated at her. Nicole's mind took a few moments to register.

"Goblin? Goblin King?" she asked incredulously. The man tilted his head in a nod, the smirk returning. "Listen, mister, I don't care who you think you are, I want my brother back," she snarled, advancing.

The Goblin King glared at her in warning, and she paused. "What's said is said. The wish was made – there is no going back now."

Nicole's eyes narrowed. "Just because _he_ wished for you to take him away does not mean that I'm going to let him go willingly. Where is he?"

The King grinned as he turned, pointing. "He is there, in my castle." Nicole gaped at the castle that she had certainly never seen in her neighborhood before. And around it…

"Have I left reality and found myself in '_The Shining_'?" She groaned aloud. Then she looked around, startled, to find that she was not in her brother's room any longer. _'This isn't Kansas – not that I was there in the first place…'_

The Goblin King walked towards her, staring triumphantly down at her. "Do you wish to turn back, Nicole?"

She glared at him, her eyes glimmering brown slits of fury. "I have no other choice, don't pretend otherwise," she spat out. Jareth nodded, pointing to a clock behind him.

"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your little brother becomes one of my goblins forever…" his voice faded as he slowly disappeared into the landscape in a shower of glitter.

She blinked. "Not a fairy, my ass," she said, before turning and running towards the looming walls ahead of her. She scouted around for a minute before locating the doors, which creaked open at her arrival. She stood still for a moment, bracing herself, then nodded. She walked slowly towards the doors, mumbling, "There better not be any minotaurs in here or I'm going to be seriously put out…"

Before she could cross the threshold, a hand grabbed her arm. Nicole reared back, her fist swinging wildly towards whatever the creature was. It never connected, however – the thing's other hand caught her fist deftly. She blinked, getting a good look at her attacker as it… no, he, chuckled.

The man before her was dressed all in black, with black hair and blue-green eyes. Literally, one blue eye, one green eye. Unlike the Goblin King, his hair was not poofy, nor did his fairy make-up make him look girly. He was dressed in some sort of black leather armor, enhancing her impression that he was a warrior.

"Now, now, is that anyway to treat someone who wishes to help you?" The man's voice was deep and slightly mocking. Nicole wrenched both her arms out of his grip.

"And just who are you?" she snarled up at him. The man leaned back against the wall, eyeing her.

"I'm here to give you another way to win back your brother…" he shrugged indifferently.

Nicole blinked at him. "Who are you?" she sighed.

The man smiled. "That is not important. Do you wish to take my offer or not?"

Nicole thought about it. "Let me hear the offer, then I'll decide," she said carefully. She was not going to make any promises without knowing what she was getting into first.

The man smiled. "Very wise of you. I will give you until the end of the hour to return to your own world. There, you will find someone who can help you – the only person who has ever solved the Labyrinth."

Nicole looked at the man in surprise. "Who is it? And why on earth would they help me?"

The man smiled widely. "Because she is already your little friend… Sarah Williams."

Nicole was stunned. "S-Sarah? But why…"

The man raised his hand. "We don't have much time. Do you agree to go back and find her?"

Nicole's eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?" she asked, placing one hand on her hip. "I can't believe that you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart…"

The man laughed as Nicole glared at him. "Clever, clever girl! All I want is for her to return to the Labyrinth… you could say that she and the Goblin King have 'unfinished business'."

"What do you mean, 'unfinished business'?" Nicole asked, confused. The stranger merely grinned.

"To put it bluntly, I suspect that Jareth is in love with Ms. Williams. All I wish for you to do is bring her here so that we may discover if she feels the same…" he trailed off suggestively.

Nicole stared at him, her mouth open. "You want me to bring my friend here to try to set her up with Mr. Priss? Didn't your mother ever tell you, 'Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Date no Evil'?"

The man looked at her. "Do you have any other choice?" Nicole considered for a moment. The man sighed. "Don't be a fool, Nicole – this gives you another chance of winning back your brother. Do not underestimate Jareth, he will stop you solving the Labyrinth at any cost."

Nicole sighed in defeat. "All right, I'll try." She looked up, only to find herself in her front hall. She heard a voice echoing in the darkness…

"Once you recruit her, you'll find yourself where you started…"

Nicole ran for the phone, praying Sarah would answer this time of night. She punched the number, listening impatiently. After the fifth ring, a groggy voice answered.

"Hello –"

"Sarah," Nicole practically shrieked, her nerves racing. The voice on the other end paused, then spoke more urgently.

"Nicole? What's wro–"

"There's no time now! I need your help!"

"What's wrong? What's happened?"

"I need you to come with me… to the Labyrinth." Nicole gasped.

There was a pause. "Is this some sick sort of joke?"

"No! Sam borrowed your book, and wished himself away. I need you to help me get him back! Please!"

Another pause, much longer this time. Finally, a sigh of defeat. "All right. I'll help you…"

Everything went black once again. When Nicole looked up, she was back in front of the doors, a very confused looking Sarah beside her, dressed in some old sweat pants and a tee-shirt. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Nicole said slowly, looking about. The stranger was nowhere to be seen. She did, however, notice the clock.

"C'mon, we've already lost an hour!" she said, and marched through the doors to the maze, Sarah right behind her.

* * *

A pair of hard emerald eyes watched the two women enter the maze from the shrubbery nearby. The small creature giggled to itself as it skipped backwards. This was exactly the kind of information his master was looking for.

* * *

**End Notes:** Oooo, Nicole gets to play matchmaker to the Goblins! Gareth is so evil… I love it! Till next time! 


	3. Of Mazes and Mirrors

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 03:** March 12, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I own the movie… along with a bunch of other people. Aren't DVDs great?

**Author Notes:** FINALLY! The last week has been hell, especially in regards to writing. I just haven't had the time to get everything to the point of being post-ready, and this fic has been no exception. Anywho, here it is, Chapter 3!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Of Mazes and Mirrors**

Gareth watched the human boy with much amusement. Sam, as he was called, was sitting in the middle of a large group of goblins, his eyes wide with surprise, awe, and a hint of fear. Most of the goblins were drunk, or were well on their way to being so.

Gareth chuckled to himself. Jareth had been summoned to the front lines, as they needed the King himself to try and influence the negotiations with the Erlkonig. Gareth, as "the Black Prince" (although he hated that title) was temporarily left in charge of the Goblin City and its newest goblin-to-be.

Sam looked up at Gareth's laughter, seeing him for the first time. The young boy extracted himself from the drunken revelry and walked over to where Gareth was lounging.

"Are you the Goblin King?" the boy asked, his eyes quizzical.

Gareth chuckled. "No, and I wouldn't let Jareth hear that – he tends to be rather touchy about our relationship."

"Then who are you?"

"I am Gareth, his half-brother. Unfortunately, you picked a rather bad time to wish yourself away – our country's been at war and we're in the middle of negotiations right now with the enemy."

The boy looked slightly abashed, yet defiant. "Like my sister cares anyway, she's –"

"She's in the Labyrinth right now, trying to win your freedom," Gareth interrupted sharply. Sam looked startled. "And if she should fail, there's no telling what Jareth will do to her."

"What would he do to her?" Sam asked in a small voice.

"If she's lucky, he'll turn her into a Goblin. And if she's made him angry, as I suspect she has with her rather sharp tongue, well…" Gareth paused, considering, "there are several not-very-pleasant places to put people who raise his ire."

* * *

Nicole followed her companion silently through the tall stone walls. They had been inside the Labyrinth for a good hour, and already Sarah had won Nicole's respect for her maze-solving skills.

"So, Sarah," Nicole began as the two women wandered about, "Why didn't you tell me that you'd been here?"

Sarah snorted. "Would you have believed me if I had? 'Oh, by the way, Nicole, I once wished Toby away to an enchanted world and had to fight my way through a mystical maze to rescue him from the evil Goblin King!'"

Nicole grinned. "Put that way, probably not. So, what can you tell me about this place? What should I know about the Labyrinth?"

Sarah pondered as they made their way forward. "Hmm, well, you can never really go backwards here. The maze is enchanted – the walls, even the stones themselves move. So marking your path or backtracking are out of the question. Nothing is as it seems in this place."

"Appearances are deceiving, huh?"

"That's about right. Also, try not to anger the Goblin King. Last time I was here, I angered him, and he stole several hours of my time."

Nicole gulped, both abashed and confused. "'Stole' time?"

Sarah looked at her seriously. "He has the power to alter time. I angered him, and he took away several hours of my remaining time." Sarah paused as they reached an intersection, before choosing the path to the left. Nicole noticed her expression was one of slight curiosity. "Actually, I'm surprised he hasn't sent someone to deal with us yet – or harassed us himself."

Nicole gave her friend a sharp look. "Is that longing I hear in your voice, Sarah?" she teased. She grinned when Sarah began to vehemently deny it.

"No! He was much more malicious last time, that's all. He enjoys tormenting the people who run the Labyrinth – harassment, sending obstacles to confuse them. Something should've happened by _now_," she finished in a whisper, as if she was afraid to say the thought out loud.

They walked on in silence for a few minutes more, until they came to a clearing. Two doors faced them from the far end, with strange figures giggling at them from the intricate paneling. Nicole jumped as the walls closed behind them with a soft _thump_. Sarah didn't even blink.

"As I said, there's never any going back. Now we must determine which door to take."

The figures on the doors laughed as the two women approached them. Sarah looked them over thoughtfully. Then she looked at Nicole. "One door lies, the other tells the truth. We have to figure out which is which. However, we can only question one of them."

The figures on both doors nodded in agreement. Nicole stiffened, watching the figures. "Can I ask a general question about the rules, before we chose?"

The four figures looked at each other, one of them shrugging.

"Its been a long time since she's been here, so let me get this straight – one of you lies, and one tells the truth. Is that still correct?"

"Yes," cried the figures on one door.

"Yes, yes!" said the others.

Nicole turned to Sarah. "They're both liars. You can't trust either door." She ignored the guards as they cried out in protest.

"What!" Sarah exclaimed, startled.

"Maybe they themselves don't know the truth anymore, but they both agree on the simple fact that one lies and one tell the truth. Hence, they must both either be liars or truth-tellers. I'm a pessimist, so they're liars."

With that said, Nicole walked to the doors, and braced her foot on the edge of one of the shields, hoisting herself up. Sarah and the guards watched her in amazement.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked.

"What do you think?" Nicole huffed as she searched for her next foothold. "I never heard any rule that we couldn't climb the walls!"

* * *

Sam gaped as a snowy owl flew into the midst of the rowdy goblins and, in a flash of light and silk, transformed into a tall, pale man, who was rubbing his temples in exasperation.

"Gareth, he's up to something," Jareth muttered, waving a hand at his General.

"I told you. He's planning something, and we must find a way to force his hand before its ready."

Jareth walked around the room, thinking to himself. He then noticed Sam staring at him, and smirked evilly.

"By the way, Gareth, how is our guest faring in the Labyrinth?" he asked smugly.

Gareth shrugged, masking his anticipation with a cool look. "I haven't the foggiest idea, brother. Your talent was magic, that's why _you're_ the Goblin King."

Jareth grinned cockily. "That's true," he smirked, a crystal forming in his hand as he spoke. "My bloodline _was_ always more favo-" Jareth's words failed him as he stared into the orb in his hand. Gareth could barely make out the image of two women before the Goblin King disappeared in a flash.

Gareth laughed heartily once his brother had gone. The goblins joined him out of habit, curious as to why the Black Prince suddenly wore the look of a canary-eating cat.

* * *

**End Notes:** Mwahahaha. Now I'm the evil one. Cliff hanger! Hahahaha. Of, and if anyone's curious about the title, and the distinct Lack of mirrors, let me explain. In college, I wrote a paper for film class about the usage of mirrors and mazes in "The Shining." It was a very good paper, I got an A on it – which, coming from that prof, was outstanding. The full title was "Of Mirros and Mazes – Conversations with Lloyd the Bartender." Anywho, point is, I was hung up for a title, and that one struck a chord. 


	4. At the End of the Tunnel

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 04:** March 26, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** Hmm, still checking the credits… nada, I'm not in there.

**Author Notes:** Yo-yo peoples. Here she is, Chapter 4! And there was much rejoicing.

* * *

**Chapter Four: At the End of the Tunnel**

"C'mon, grab my hand! It's not too bad a climb," Nicole grunted from the top of the wall. She grabbed Sarah's wrist and hoisted her friend up along side of her. They paused there, staring down into the two paths beyond the door.

"Which one should we choose, do you think?" Nicole asked, facing Sarah at last.

Sarah's brow creased as she studied the paths before her. "The right path, I guess. The wall is hedge-lined, which indicates it leads into the second part of the Labyrinth."

"Well, then, off we go," Nicole said, jumping down unsteadily into the space behind the right door. Sarah followed her a moment later.

"I just hope this is the cor-" Sarah's words were cut off as the ground shifted beneath the two women, a hole appearing under their feet and dropping them into a dark pit. The Helping Hands hurried their descent, pushing the startled women down into the depths quickly, before locking the grate above them.

"Sarah?" Nicole asked into the darkness.

"I was afraid this might happen," came Sarah's weary voice in the darkness. Nicole could hear the other woman fumbling about.

"What're you doing?" Nicole asked.

"Looking for a door," Sarah's disembodied voice replied. Nicole winced as she heard clanging a moment later. "Wrong door," Sarah muttered, and then Nicole suddenly saw her friend outlined in dim but very welcome light.

"Good job, Sarah!" Nicole grinned, following her out into the passage beyond. The tunnel was round, the walls made of cold, slime-covered stone. Nicole wrinkled her nose as Sarah led her onwards. Nicole slipped as they turned a corner, cursing loudly.

"This place stinks," she mumbled. She watched as Sarah stiffened, hearing a screeching noise coming from further down the passage. Nicole scrambled to her feet, peering into the darkness.

"What is that?" she whispered, then screamed as Sarah grabbed her arm, almost causing her to fall again as she pulled her into a run.

"Never mind, run!" was all Sarah managed to gasp out. The two women barreled down the corridor, Sarah's eyes frantically looking for a weak spot in the wall. Finally finding one, she flung herself into it, giving Nicole enough time to glance behind them. The noisemaker was metallic, blocked the entire passage, and had many sharp, pointy things. She threw herself against the wall with Sarah, and they managed to push the wall in before the machine got anywhere near them.

Sarah pulled Nicole into the darkness beside her, feeling her way through the new passageway. Eventually, they found a dusty metal ladder built into the wall. Nicole watched Sarah, who looked highly perplexed, grab the rungs and start climbing. Nicole shrugged once, then followed suit.

They finally reached the surface once again, emerging into a hedge-lined portion of maze. Sarah gave Nicole a hand out of the ground, and together they then slid the cover back over the hole.

"Well, ladies, how do you like my Labyrinth?" a cold, cultured voice asked from behind them. Sarah swung around, her eyes wide as she and Nicole faced the Goblin King.

* * *

Gareth sat in his tent on the front lines, anger mounting as he read through various reports from his spies. According to the reports, the Erlkonig was reinforcing his army in 'secret,' preparing what looked to be a massive invasion force. Gareth wondered how long it would be before the old fool decided to strike.

Despite the reports, the goblin troops still outnumbered the Dark Elves three to one – a battle at this point would still result in a Goblin victory. However, the negotiations still moved forward at a deathly slow rate. The Erlkonig's representatives hemmed and hawed and prodded at the tiniest details in the contracts. They were waiting for some development to come about – Gareth could taste it in the air.

Gareth sighed, leaning back in his chair and pouring himself a glass of wine. He sipped it slowly, letting the tartness of the liquid roll across his tongue, soothing his frustrated nerves. Absently, he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, wondering with a faint smile if his brother had dealt with feelings for the human yet.

* * *

"So, Sarah, did you and your little friend enjoy the oubliette?" Jareth asked, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"It was a piece of cake," Sarah told him mockingly.

"My dear Sarah, still using the same expressions? You deserved to be punished after cheating in my Labyrinth. Well, how would you like this slice again?" he asked, and a clock suddenly appeared at a wave of his hand. The hour hand moved forward, and as Nicole watched in horror, they lost several hours of time. She now understood what Sarah had meant.

"You prissy asshole!" Nicole muttered under her breath. Fortunately, Jareth and Sarah seemed too intent on glaring at each other to hear her words.

"Well, Sarah, have you anything to say? Its not _fair_, is it?" Jareth sneered at her. Nicole vaguely wondered if steam would start rising from Sarah's ears.

"You'd like me to say that, wouldn't you? But I know very well that you never play by the rules," Sarah spat out.

"That is because I am the King here, Sarah, never forget that. And no matter how exhausted it may make me, I will always live up to your expectations of me – no matter how high, or how low." With that said, the Goblin King vanished in a whisper of silk.

"What was that all about?" Nicole asked Sarah, who looked a bit dazed. "You both completely lost me there."

Sarah turned, her shoulders shrugging against some unseen force. "Come on, Nicole, let's find our way out of here," she said, walking off into the hedges. Nicole, eyes wide with concern, followed her.

* * *

**End Notes:** I know, I know, short chapter. It was originally shorter, but I threw in the cleaner for a little excitement. I'm not trying to follow the action as it was in the movie, and so you're not going to see certain other parts of the Labyrinth. Do count on the Bog's appearance, however. Anywho, there's more action coming up in the next chapter, so this one was a little dull, as it had to pass a certain bit of transition work off. 


	5. Conversations, Part One

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 05:** April 9, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Labyrinth, or really, the Jim Henson studios, don't you think I would've used my army of Muppets to take over the world by now?

* * *

**Chapter Five: Conversations, Part One**

Nicole stared at her friend thoughtfully as she forcefully marched her way through the hedge-lined paths.

"Y'know, Sarah," she said carefully, "This reminds me of how in elementary school, you knew a boy liked you if he hit you…"

Sarah paused, her eyes glaring over her shoulder dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nicole grinned. "Well, maybe this is how Jareth shows that he likes you!"

Sarah smiled reluctantly. "He's a little too old for kindergarten, Nicole."

Nicole chuckled. "Hey, a grown man with the maturity level of a little boy? It happens all the time back home!"

The two women laughed.

* * *

Jareth stormed into his throne room. The goblins took one look at him and quickly retreated into other, safer parts of the castle.

"Tell me, Samuel, are all the female members of your species so incredibly ignorant?" he snarled at his young goblin-to-be.

Samuel looked up, his gaze puzzled. "Not really. Clueless, sometimes, but my sister usually knows more about what's going on than I do," he shrugged. A goblin entered the room.

"Your Highness," he squeaked nervously, "These just arrived from the front!" He handed a bundle of papers to the Goblin King, then beat a hasty retreat.

Jareth sighed, falling into a chair. He flipped through the correspondence, frowning as he read the reports. Tossing them to the side, he lifted a hand to aching head, sighing.

"My kingdom is in danger, my enemy is refusing to surrender, and on top of it all, I have two impossible women running the Labyrinth. Could this get any worse?"

A raven cawed from the balcony, quickly transforming into the Black Prince.

"It got worse," Jareth muttered dryly.

* * *

The two women continued to argue as they made their way through the hedges.

"I still think you're wrong, Nicole. Jareth hates me as much as I hate him," Sarah explained. "He kidnapped my little brother, albeit at my request," she admitted as an afterthought, "But he tormented me all through my trip through the Labyrinth. He has never shown anything but contempt for me!"

"And I think you're wrong, but let's put aside his feelings for the moment. You don't hate him; admit it, Sarah. I've watched you, every time he's mentioned, its like a little jolt of something goes through you, and its not hatred. You may be a good actress, Sarah, but you've not been bothering to hide anything while we've been here. You're in love with him, aren't you." Nicole stated, rather than asked.

Sarah flushed. "I don't know what –"

Nicole grabbed her arm and forced Sarah to look her in the eyes. "Just admit it, Sarah, to me and to yourself!"

Sarah looked her in the eyes. "Maybe. Maybe I did, maybe I still do. But he doesn't return that – I don't see how he could possibly ever return that. He sees me as a game, a challenge – perhaps the only one he's ever truly had. Yes, that invokes interest from him, but nothing more. I'm nothing more than a game to him, and that's the truth… The only truth…" Sarah whispered, her eyes wide, holding back tears.

"And put like that," she finished, "The truth hurts like hell."

* * *

Jareth looked at his grinning brother wearily. "What is it now, Gareth?"

Gareth eyed his brother thoughtfully. "You look like you've been through a rough patch. Did someone almost toss you into the Bog again?" he asked carefully.

Jareth smirked. "Of course not – you're the only one who's ever tried to do that," he commented. "No, just two frustrating women are running the Labyrinth."

Gareth acted surprised. "Two women!"

Jareth looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Nicole and her little friend… Sarah."

Gareth fought to keep his smile in check, and failed miserably. "Not _your_ little Sarah? The one you're madly in love with?" He chuckled at the look of surprise on Samuel's face and at Jareth's dark growl.

"Gareth, I'm warning you," Jareth snarled.

"Let me guess, you went down there to profess your undying affection for her, didn't you?" Gareth chuckled, flopping down in a chair nearby. Jareth closed his eyes, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I don't need this right now," he muttered to himself. Opening his eyes, he glared at his brother. "That was done a long time ago."

Gareth's smile stayed in place, but had Jareth cared to look closely, his eyes betrayed some amount of concern for his elder half-brother. "Well, what happened? Did she turn you down?"

Jareth rose to his feet, walking stiffly towards the window. Before he transformed, he turned to Gareth.

"She might as well have," he muttered, then, as an owl, flew away.

* * *

**End Notes:** Meh, confused emotions all around! But don't hate me, everything will be cleared up eventually… I just feel that both Sarah and Jareth, even after all this time, would be uncertain of how the other person feels. No matter how much they might hope, doubt will always hit harder. Sigh… it makes it all that much sweeter! 


	6. Conversations, Part Two

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 06:** April 9, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** Since I have yet to deploy my army of Muppets (actually, they mysteriously look like badly-made sock puppets) to take over the world… I don't own anything relevant to the movie or its creators. How sad.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Conversations, Part Two**

"I don't think he sees you as a challenge, Sarah," Nicole told her friend softly. "Well, perhaps he does, but not the way you mean. True, he's a king, and probably is unused to having people challenge him. And so maybe he was interested in you at first because you were the only one willing to act like his equal. But now…"

"Now what," Sarah asked stonily, marching ahead of her pondering friend.

"Well, he doesn't have to keep coming to pick on you. And if he truly disliked you, he wouldn't have just taken time away from us back there – he would've dropped us back into the tunnels or something, made all of this more difficult. But he didn't," she finished.

"Nicole, you've just met him – there's no telling how the Goblin King's mind works. He's probably got something nasty planned for us."

"I don't think –"

"I think I've known him a bit longer than you have," Sarah interrupted.

"I'm not saying that you haven't," Nicole snorted. "But what I can't believe is that here, before me, is the girl I've looked up to for so many years – the girl who was always so sure of herself, who always had such a firm grip on her own capabilities, always pushing herself further. And now, she's giving up on chasing the man she's in love with because she won't trust herself to believe that he could possibly love her back!"

"Oh, how would you know?" Sarah sighed, "I think I've known him a bit longer than you!"

"Well, honey, sometimes it takes an objective viewpoint to see what's really there."

* * *

Jareth, in his owl form, flew along blindly, lost in thought. That was, until a dark shape hurtled out of the clouds, forcefully crashing into him. He scrambled madly midair, trying to regain his wings. When he did, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the raven cackling madly beside him. Jareth dove for the ground, transforming quickly as his brother landed beside him.

"Are you trying to kill me now, brother?" he bit out in anger.

"No, only trying to knock some sense into you! You should've seen your owlish face," Gareth chuckled, leaning against a nearby tree. "So, out with it – why are you so pathetic all of a sudden? What did Sarah say?"

Jareth sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "It wasn't so much what she said, as how she said it. She still despises me after all these years."

Gareth's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure her tone didn't originate from surprise? After all, the two of you hardly parted on good terms the last time you met."

Jareth looked at him bleakly. "No, this was utter contempt, I'm sure. She rejected me five years ago, I have no reason to believe she would not do the same now."

Gareth shrugged. "Give her time, brother. She may need some time to… come around to the idea."

Jareth looked at his brother, some semblance of his old temper returning.

"Time, brother, is already running out."

* * *

"Objective viewpoint?" Sarah snorted.

"Yes, objective! When he fought with me earlier, it was all smug-amused-contempt! With you, on the other hand, there's something else there… something raw, something emotional. I think you expect him to annoy you, and so he does. He said something about living up to your expectations – maybe that's why he annoys you so much! He's trying to be what you expect him to be!" Nicole exclaimed, looking triumphant.

Sarah laughed darkly. "You keep thinking that, Nicole, if it gives you comfort."

Nicole smirked back. "And indeed, being right does give me comfort."

Sarah snorted again, but dropped the line of conversation as they reached a gap in the hedges. Beyond them stretched a grim forest of twisted, dark-leafed trees.

"Well, we've reached the third sector of the Labyrinth. It should be pretty easy going from he–" Sarah began, but her voice cut into a scream as she walked through the gap and promptly slid down a steep embankment that was cleverly concealed beyond the doorway.

"Sarah!" Nicole exclaimed, running to the gap and looking down at her friend. She could see Sarah and another creature, who's gruff voice was throwing out a stream of obscenities. Nicole scrambled down the steep slope to help her friend and the little creature to its feet.

Sarah gasped as she moved to the side, then flung herself on the little wrinkled man.

"Hoggle! Its you!"

"Sarah!" the little man exclaimed joyfully, returning the hug with one of his own.

* * *

Elsewhere, another little creature was sharing a different sort of joy.

"My Master, it is as we thought," the little pointy-eared creature told a shadowed form, its emerald eyes glittering maliciously. "The Goblin King is in love with a human who is, at this very moment, unguarded and running the Labyrinth."

"Very good, Dori. You will be rewarded for your good work," a voice hissed from the darkness of his throne. "The Goblin King will surrender his Kingdom to us – and I have the perfect plan to make him do so."

* * *

**End Notes:** Enter the Villain! Ah well, two chapters and a good deal more of the plot. My Labyrinth muse/bunny must've returned (and it's about time!). 


	7. Old Friends

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 07:** April 24, 2004  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** Muppets, attack! Um, they're just staring at me with their little button eyes… sigh I guess I don't own the Labyrinth.

**Author Notes:** More familiar characters have arrived!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Old Friends**

Gareth watched his brother fly away in owl form with mixed feelings. While he was partially amused by the fact that his brother really did have a heart beating under that pale, cruel façade, it worried him to see the Goblin King this upset by a woman. And a mortal woman, no less…

Gareth sighed – both he and his brother were getting soft. His brother by his fascination with Sarah; and Gareth for actually worrying about it. He shrugged, still thinking to himself, and decided that he might as well check on Sarah's side of this mess before heading back to the war front. He shook his head before he transformed – war and bloodshed were so much easier to deal with.

* * *

"Sarah! What're you doing here?" Hoggle exclaimed. He frowned. "You're not here ta rescue your brother again, is you?"

Nicole grimaced as Sarah chuckled. "No, we're here to rescue her brother. Hoggle, meet Nicole," she said, gesturing to her human friend. Nicole blinked as Hoggle frowned at her.

"Shouldn't ta been wishin' your brother away, now," he told her.

Nicole sighed. "I didn't – he wished himself away. Now, as much as I like reunions, we're starting to run out of time. Can we get moving again?

Sarah smiled, turning back to Hoggle. "Can you show a way to get to the Goblin City from here?" she asked.

"Well, I guess I can this once, even if Jareth won't like it. Follow me!" Hoggle answered gruffly.

The two girls fell into step behind the shorter creature, and walked for about five to ten minutes through the forest before they heard raucous singing.

Sarah turned to Nicole with wary amusement. "Be quiet – those are the Fierys, you don't want to get on the wrong side of them," she cautioned. Nicole nodded curiously. As they continued forward, the singing got louder and louder, until…

"Hey! Take off ya head, lady!" a heavily accented voice called out. Nicole watched, baffled, as a fuzzy orange head landed before her, blinking and yelling. Other creatures (and appendages) came flying at the two women and goblin, the three of whom broke into a run.

"If they catch us," Sarah panted, "They'll try to take our heads off!" Nicole screamed as she felt something tug harshly at her hair. She grabbed the offending arm and threw it to the side, dodging a disembodied hand in the process. The three crashed through the underbrush, only stopping when they came face-to-face with a cliff.

"Oh no! A dead end!" Sarah cried. She looked around frantically for something to climb up, but there was nothing. But then, as the Fierys began closing in…

"CHARGE!" a voice cried, and a small sheepdog with a very fancifully-dressed fox riding it ran through the clearing, running straight at the fluffy orange creatures.

"Awoooo!" howled another voice, and Nicole was shocked to see rocks rolling through the clearing at the offending creatures.

"Ludo! Sir Didymus!" Sarah cried cheerfully. After a few minutes, the three newcomers returned, and Nicole got a better look at Sarah's friends. One was a lumbering but gentle-seeming giant; the other, a fierce little creature.

"My lady! You have returned to us!" Sir Didymus cried, bowing and kissing Sarah's hand.

"Sa-rah," Ludo said in his furry voice, enveloping the smaller woman in a huge hug.

"And who is this, my lady?" Sir Didymus asked, bowing to Nicole.

"This is my friend, Nicole – we're here to rescue her brother from Jareth," Sarah explained.

"A quest! Well then, let us be off to the Goblin City once again!" Sir Didymus cried, encouraging his steed Ambrosius into the trees. Hoggle merely rolled his eyes while Sarah giggled softly.

"Is he always like that?" Nicole whispered as the two women walked at the rear of the group.

"Yes. He takes chivalry very seriously," Sarah replied quietly.

The group walked onwards for what seemed like another ten or fifteen minutes before Nicole asked Sarah, "Isn't there some sort of short cut or something that we could take?"

Sarah frowned, thinking. "Well, it would probably be quickest to go through the Bog of Eternal Stench, but…"

"Bog of Eternal Stench?" Nicole wondered aloud.

"Yes – if you even touch it, you'll stink forever. Hoggle and Ludo hate it, so we'll be avoiding that trip if at all possible."

"Hmmm, the Bog of Eternal Stench," Nicole mused aloud, until a cawing noise interrupted her. She turned towards the noise, raising an eyebrow at the raven sitting nearby. Its head was cocked with a mischievous expression in its eyes.

"What, do you have a better idea?" Nicole asked. She could've sworn it nodded its head. Sarah walked up beside her, her expression quizzical.

"Why are you talking to a crow?" Sarah asked. The bird in question muttered at her.

"It's a raven, not a crow. There's a difference," Nicole told her. The bird chirped in agreement.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's get going – we've got to save your brother, remember?"

Nicole eyed the bird thoughtfully. "Maybe it knows something?" she asked Sarah. The bird preened.

Sarah gaped at her. "I think this place is getting to you. Have you always talked to birds?"

"And what happened to your advice – not everything is what it seems?" Nicole retorted. She turned back towards the raven. "Can you show us a faster way to the Goblin City?" she asked politely. The bird cawed, flapping up and over their heads in a north-easterly direction. She grinned at Sarah.

"See, we can follow it to the city!" she exclaimed, walking off after the bird.

* * *

**End Notes:** Well, the others have come into play now! We'll see more of everyone next chapter, as some sticky situations begin to develop! 


	8. The Gauntlet

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 08:** July 12, 2005  
**Updated:** December 22, 2005

**Disclaimer:** The muppets are revolting. So we haven't gained control of the copyrights yet. Don't sue.

**Author Notes:** LONG TIME, no updates. Whoops. I've been entangled in a lot of things since the last time – computer crashes, pet deaths, unfinished apartment woes, and living out of boxes at my parents' house for the last two months. Yup. Lot's o' crap, no updates. However, know that I have not given up on this story – actually, on any of my stories – and it will be finished. Period. I'm already planning the sequel to this one. Joys and rapture, if I can ever get into my freakin' new apartment and finally have access to all my notes again. Stupid bleepers…

* * *

**Chapter Eight: The Gauntlet**

"Whoa, Sarah! Where's ya goin'?" Hoggle called, stumbling to catch up with the eager Nicole and the reluctant Sarah. They seemed to be at the entrance to a rocky gorge. Nicole eyed the bird as it perched on a rock, patiently waiting for the small party.

"We're following this… _bird_… because Nicole thinks it knows a short cut to the Goblin City," Sarah admitted as the others caught up with the party. Nicole glared at her friend for the doubt in her voice.

"Well's, that way is shorter, but's ya don't wants to be goin' in theres," Hoggle stressed, grabbing Nicole's arm and pulling her away. Sarah looked surprised.

"It _is_ a short cut? Why can't we take it then?" she asked, wincing as she peered into the dark shadows beyond the rocky entrance.

"That place is called the Gauntlet, my fair Ladies. It is a training ground for the knights of the Goblin City," Didymus answered her. "Long have I wished to prove my valour by running its course, however…"

Hoggle interrupted. "Its only fer the knights of the Goblin City. So comes on, there's nuthin' to see there." He tried to pull Nicole away, but she tugged against him.

"The raven led us here, it must be a short cut. And we're running out of time, so LET GO OF ME!" she screeched at Hoggle, who released her in surprise.

"Wells, no needs to be actin' all huffy," he stated, folding his arms before him. Sarah eyed Nicole's stubborn expression, and sighed.

"She's right, we are getting short on time. Does this come out near the city?"

Hoggle answered reluctantly. "Wells, almost at the front gates…"

Nicole beamed. "See, I told you! Follow the bird!" she cried, marching into the dark shadows beyond the forest's edge. The others followed, albeit reluctantly.

* * *

Jareth sighed, running a hand through his hair. Just what he needed, on top of all his other concerns – his brother gaining a heart. Or something remotely similar, he conceded. His brow creased, however, as he wondered how Sarah had come to be in the Labyrinth in the first place. He frowned; suddenly the pieces were all beginning to fit together. He summoned a sphere, and fury built up inside him as he noticed the feathery addition to the party in the woods…

* * *

"Ew, Ludo!" Nicole exclaimed, fanning her face. They had been wandering the Gauntlet for ten minutes already, and suddenly Nicole caught a whiff of putrid air, glaring at the furry giant before her.

"Hm?" Ludo asked, looked over her shoulder at her. Sarah caught on immediately.

"It wasn't him. We must be near the Bog of Eternal Stench," she gasped, fanning her own face. The others reeled from the fumes, but the raven merely cawed, urging them forward quickly.

Nicole quickly followed the bird, and gasped in relief as the air cleared a good twenty feet beyond the others. "Hurry, get up here," she called, waving to the group. They panted for clean air (all but Didymus, who seemed fine). Nicole's eyes narrowed as she studied the gorge's walls.

"They must have some kind of vents there, to pass the air through," she muttered, then raised an eyebrow at the raven, who started preening his feathers nearby. "You seem to know an awful lot about this gorge," she muttered again, addressing it directly. The raven tilted its head at her, and she could've sworn it was smirking. She sighed.

"Well, we'd better keep moving forward," she said aloud, and the group resumed its travel through the rocky depths. Nicole lingered, watching the raven with a speculative eye as it flew ahead of the party. "I wonder," she whispered, then shook her head. Sarah looked at her inquisitively.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking from Nicole to the bird.

"Nothing, nothing," Nicole replied, refocusing her energy forwards. Too little time to wonder about things so improbable… And besides, she had other matters to attend to.

"So, Sarah, you think this thing runs along beside the Bog?" she asked her friend. Sarah shrugged.

"I suppose so, if it can be vented over here. That must be one of the Knight's tests, to brave the stench."

Nicole chanced a glance at the raven flying up ahead. "I wonder what other tests we'll have to face here," she muttered.

"Ha'pears to be none. The Labyrinth's at wars right now, so's all the testers must be on the front lines," Hoggle called back, then glowered darkly at the raven as it cawed in agreement.

"And the bird knows this how?" Sarah asked.

"Who knows," Nicole answered. "At least we have a guide; I'd sure hate to lose him…" she trailed off as a white blur sped past the party, aiming straight for…

"Raven! Look out!" Nicole screamed, and the black bird almost had time to look around as the large white bird – '_A barn owl_,' Nicole thought wildly – crashed into it in mid air, pushing the creature over the edge of the gorge wall.

"Raven!" Nicole screamed, scrambling up the rocks towards where the two birds had disappeared. She ignored the protests of the group behind her, struggling to reach the top…

"Oh. My," she muttered as she stared at the Bog below, then promptly fainted as the stench overcame her.

* * *

**End Notes:** Well, cliffie of doom, the first of many. I actually had a different stopping point in mind, but I'll use that next chapter. And some of you might wonder why Jareth has only just now wondered how Sarah got in the Labyrinth… the way I see it, he's had so many distractions – the war, the Erlkonig's strange plans, his brother – that he really just didn't think about it. On top of all of the distractions, he's just so used to seeing Nicole and Sarah together in his crystals, that it didn't occur to him to stop and wonder about the who's and how's of the situation. Anywho, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Onwards! 


	9. Stepping Stones

**Hurts Like Hell  
****Author:** Chaos Valkyrie  
**First Conceptualized:** February 20, 2004  
**Posted Chapter 09:** December 23, 2005

**Generic Author's Notes:  
****1.** Due to new ffnet standards, all chapters have been updated, most with some minor edits. I'll answer/re-answer reviews between now and next posting in the new area.  
**2.** I have decided on a new update policy. Now that my life is getting back together, I will now post once-a-month on whatever Friday happens to lie between the 15th and 21st. I can't promise an update on every story, but I can promise that if it doesn't post one month, it WILL post the next. This also means that some months, you'll get bonus chapters on some stories.  
**3.** Web page will be up soon with stories that can't be posted here – namely "The Villain's Guide to Evil Stuff" and songfics, etc. I put off the launch to get all this stuff out.  
**4.** By the way, if anyone has Chapter One of "The Chaos Land Tournament" or Lesson 10 of "The Villain's Guide", please let me know. My copies got deleted, and those are the only two I didn't have backed up. You will be rewarded! So please, go to my Author Page for more details…  
Thank you for your continued patience, and Happy Holidays!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Stepping Stones**

Nicole was awoken rather forcefully by a great deal of pain and an appallingly nasty odor. Her eyes shot open, and she groggily rose to a sitting position, blearily checking out her surroundings. The ledge she had been standing on was a good fifteen feet above her, and she surmised that she must have slid down the slope after she had fainted. Her entire side ached, and she was covered head to foot in dust and dirt. Fortunately, her descent had stopped before reaching the Bog.

Nicole's nose wrinkled in disgust as she watched the thick gelatinous gloop churn slowly, releasing its toxic miasma. She rose to her feet, edging away from the Bog and looking back up towards the ledge. She could faintly hear her friends calling to her. That, and seeing the dust just settling on the slope, she guessed she'd only been unconscious for a minute or two.

'_As if anyone could sleep with that stench nearby_,' she shuddered. But as she began to climb again, she heard another sound…

"Raven!" she exclaimed, suddenly remembering what had brought her here to begin with. She tore off towards the raucous sound of two birds screaming.

* * *

Gareth narrowly avoided the white talons of his brother as he dodged through the branches of yet another tree on the edge of the Bog. He cursed to himself breathily, his transformed shape turning it into a harsh squawking cacophony. He backwinged, barely missing another attack.

Gareth had hoped, rather futilely, that his brother would not be so quick on the uptake. Gareth had very little magic of his own. His ability to transform to a raven was the result of genetics – technically a magical act, it was also a simple matter of heredity. The power he had invoked to bring Sarah to the Labyrinth was the Labyrinth's itself. Few people, besides himself and Jareth, knew that the Wilderlands outside the Labyrinth allowed the invocation of aide. Simply put, the magicks of the Labyrinth did not apply outside of it walls. As long as Nicole was outside the Labyrinth, she was not under Jareth's rules and therefore could call forth any champion to aide her quest. Gareth simply made her aware of the rules – or lack thereof.

Needless to say, however, Jareth did not appreciate his brother's interference. Gareth flew through the trees, pausing inside a spruce as the white owl tore at the close-knit branches. Gareth panted for breath, considering his options. Although smaller in this form than his brother, as a raven Gareth had two distinct advantages. Firstly, being smaller made him slightly quicker and gave him the advantage of flight. Jareth was the deadlier bird, his talons capable of dealing greater damage. It was rather ironic that Gareth was the better fighter in human form.

Gareth waited for his brother to entangle himself more fully in the tree before he dodge past the snappy branches on the opposite side. He heard his irate brother scream behind him, and he almost smirked as he flew off into the forest. Now all he needed was a good hiding hole…

There. Near the ground was an opening partially covered by ferns. He dove into the hole, peeking out to see no trace of his brother. Waiting patiently and struggling to regain his breath, he waited until the wide shadow passed overhead. Give it a few minutes, then perhaps he would be safe enough to escape.

Gareth sighed, checking himself for injury. The adrenaline was leaving his system, leaving no absence of aches and pains. His back was bloody from a shallow scratch from the white owl's talons, and his wings were sore from crashing through the trees. However, he was satisfied that his injuries seemed minimal.

He eyed the hovering form of the owl in the sky. Jareth was still circling overhead, waiting for his brother to try an escape. Gareth's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected his brother to be this angry at his interference.

A grinding noise rumbled in the distance, and Gareth noticed happily that his brother jerked in his flight and took off in the direction of the sound of the disturbance. Gareth hopped out of his refuge, eyeing the sky about him. A sound from the Bog caught his hearing, and he took off into a lumbering flight towards that horrid stench…

* * *

Meanwhile, a small bouncy creature was causing mischief in the Goblin City.

Dori cackled as he flew about the barracks in the Goblin Army's fortress at the end of the Gauntlet. Green sparks flew as he summoned his magic to set fires to the bedding. The building oozed poisonous green smoke from the windows, and the few goblins remaining rang the warning bells, calling for help to put out the fires.

With the goblins so fully distracted, Dori paused for a jig of victory. His master would be so pleased with him! He flew to the gates, intent on beginning stage two of his Master's plan.

The stables lay near the gates. While they were mostly empty due to the war, some of the older equipment was also haphazardly stored here. Dori flew through the mess, his eyes gleaming as he caught sight of what he was looking for.

With an evil chuckle, Dori opened the gates that led to the Gauntlet, using his magic position his find at the entrance. A spark of green energy was all that was needed to start the old mechanisms. With a grinding of gears, a whiff of burning oil, the Labyrinth Tank churned into the narrow Gauntlet pass.

Dori grinned, flying off to begin stage three.

* * *

"Nicole?" Sarah called, scrambling to hold onto the ledge. She futilely scanned the ground below for her friend while her companions paced the ground below.

"I thought listenin' to that bird was a mistake," Hoggle grumbled.

"Bird bad," Ludo agreed. Sir Didymus shook his head.

"Our noble guide was attacked unfairly! We need to rally forth and aide its battle," he cried, trying to convince Ambrosious to scale the walls. His noble steed staunchly refused.

"Hoggle, what is that!" Sarah called. The sound of bells filled the air, and the group below turned to see the green smoke rising from the horizon.

"Somethin's on fire at the Goblin City!" Hoggle yelled. Sarah eyed the smoke, a feeling of misgiving seeping into her stomach. It intensified as she watched dust rising at a rapid rate from further down the gorge.

"Hoggle, something's coming! Quickly, climb up here!" she called. Sir Didymus, naturally, turned to face the oncoming danger as Hoggle and Ludo struggled to climb the wall before them.

A grinding of steel alerted Sarah, and she gasped as a huge vehicle lumbered into view. Even Sir Didymus seemed to have second thoughts, and Ambrosius climbed the wall without hesitation.

The ground trembled beneath Sarah as she stood riveted by the approaching machine. Much like the cleaners, this tank blocked the entire width of the gorge. Multiple rotating blades whirred to keep any enemies from ducking around or even above the mechanical terror. If one managed to avoid the blades, there was still the matter of being crushed to death by several tons of cold steel. Several tons that were swiftly bearing down on her friends…

Sarah slid down the steep incline, grabbing Hoggle and helping him towards the top. Ambrosius had already cleared the top of the gorge on the other side, and Ludo was not far behind him. Hoggle struggled, but the pair barely managed to reach the crest before the tank rumbled beneath them. Sarah and Hoggle shot over the ledge, tumbling towards the Bog below…

* * *

Nicole ran along the edge of the Bog, choking as she called for her feathered friend.

"Raven? Where are you? Raven!" she cried between gagging breathes. She had hoped that she could grow somewhat accustomed to the smell as time wore on; however, the smell of the Bog only seemed to grow worse the longer one was exposed to it.

A rumbling noise in the distance alerted her. She peered through the trees only to see green smoke billowing from somewhere nearby. Filled with irrational fear for her friends, she ran through the trees towards it, barely catching herself at the edge of the Bog. She glanced about, but the Bog completely cut her off from her destination. There was no time to go around, and she began searching for a path across.

There, barely reaching above the cesspool, was a series of stepping stones. She grimaced at the moss covered surfaces – one false step, and she'd smell like Bog forever. The clanging of sirens and vague calls for help spurred her forward, however.

'_My friends need me_,' she told herself firmly, and after one small paused, she leapt out onto the first stone. The stones were slick, and she carefully jumped from stone to stone as she came ever closer to the opposite side.

And perhaps, just perhaps, she would have made it safely across had it not been for a flash of white in her peripheral vision. Her head jerked around mid leap, watching the owl as it flew straight towards the source of the commotion. She returned her attention to the jump, but it was too late. Having misjudged her landing, her foot slipped on impact, and a scream tore from her throat as she plummeted towards the Bog…

* * *

**End Notes:** Oo, what's going to happen? Will Nicole be stinky forever? Also, you'll be seeing a lot more of Dori coming up as more evil plans are carried out. 


End file.
